Buckle



NOV 3 1.949 H. B. I Ewls ET AL 2,487,251

BUCKLE Filed Jan. 8, 1945 HOWARD B. 5w/5 E), GLfA/M L-A/Pso/v Arroz/viva' Patented Nov. 8, 1949 BUCKLE Howard B. Lewis and Glen M. Larson, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 8, 1945, Serial No. 571,910

This invention relates to fasteners of the buckle type, and has for its principal object provision of an eflicient although at the same time relatively simple and inexpensive construction which Will promptly grip a lstrap employed therewith when the strap reaches optimum tension, and which will be easy to release while the buckle and the strap are still under full load.

There are many applications for buckles which will immediately engage and hold a strap at approximately the limit or extreme point of its tightening action, and will readily release the strap while it is still under maximum strain. One of these use-s is in connection with a tourniquet, and the present construction is especially valuable for that purpose. Conventional buckles require the development of slack or play to effect their release, and this action results in uncomfortable overutightening when they are employed with tourniquets. Also, they require initial overtightening in order to set them for optimum pressure of the tourniquet after the buckle and strap settle into operating position. Such lover-tightening effects are especially objectionable in tourniquets which are required to be periodically released for several seconds to circulation.

The construction of the present invention overcomes all of these objectionable features and makes it po-ssible for the buckle to grip a tourniquet immediately upon reaching optimum tension, and to release the tourniquet Without any appreciable over-tightening.

The specic object and feature of the present invention is to employ a gripping jaw or strapengaging member so arranged With respect to a strap-receiving seat that the jaw will engage and press a strap firmly against the seat, such engagement being retained by the tension of the strap under normal operating conditions, the jaw being capable of being released from strap-engaging position Without preliminary over-tightening lor other manipulation to obtain slack or play before the strap is disengaged. In the preferred form, the desired objects and results are accomplished by mounting the strap-engaging jaw through the medium of a leaf spring rigidly secured toa body member carrying the seat, the set |of the spring being such as to dispose the strap-engaging portion of the jaw normally in operative position, the jaw being readily releasable merely by light pressure applied by an operators thumb or finger.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reestablish blood line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

companying drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the generic invention is disclosed by Way of illustration.

In this drawing, y

Fig. 1 is principally a plan View of the assembled buckle, portions being broken away, and looking at the inner face of the buckle;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, taken on the Fig. 3 is a cross section, taken on the line 3--3 0f Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view looking at the outer face of the buckle, and

Fig. 5 illustrates another manner of attaching the strap.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in these figures comprises a body member I0 adapted to receive a suitable strap, and a strap-engaging member I2 which acts as a jaw to grip the strap, these members being hingedly connected together by means of a stiff leaf spring I4 Which acts as a hinge and whose ends are offset as indicated and are respectively spot welded, at spaced points l5, to a main plate I6 of the body member I0 and to a main plate I8 of the member I2.

The main plate I6 of the member I0 is provided at its edges with side flanges 2U which receive between them similar side flanges 22 carried by the edges lof the main plate I3 of the member I2. The side flanges 20 and 22 -serve thus to enclose the leaf spring I4, as well as to reinforce the plates I6 and I8, and, in so far as may be necessary, to act as guides or retainers to prevent lateral strain upon the leaf spring I 4.

One end of the member I2 is provid'ed with teeth 24 which are desirably offset inwardly, as best indicated in Fig. 2, whereby they cooperate with a strap-receiving seat 25 arranged in inclined position, as also best indicated in Fig. 2.

The seat 25, in the construction shown, is in the form of the extremity of a rolled extension 26 of the adjacent end of the main plate I6 of the body member Ill. The inclination of the seat 25 is such as best to cooperate with the teeth 24 as the latter move in their path upon the spring I4 as a hinge. At the base of the seat 25 where the same is at its nearest approach to or point of contact :with the plate I6, the latter is provided With a slot 28 adapted to receive an extremity 30 of a strap to be retained. For the purpose of attaching another end 32 of the strap, the opposite end of the body member Il) is provided with a slot 34 through which the strap end 32 may bev passed and sewed as required. In addition, the

reference to the following specification and accenter portion of the plate i5 is preferably provided with another slot 35 which, if desired, may be used in conjunction with the slots 28 and 34 for any other manner of attachment of the strap end 32 and' for the purpose of causing the strap end 32 to provide a backing on the main plate I6 where desirable, such as indicated in Fig. 5.

In using the buckle of this invention, the strap end 32, which may be the end of a tourniquet for which the buckle has been especially constructed, is attached in any suitable manner such as indicated. The strap is then passed around the object to be bound, such as an injured arm in the case of a tourniquet, and the extremity 30 passed through the slot 28 and outward along the seat 25 past the end of the member I2 carrying the engaged teeth 24. For the purpose of convenient threading of the extremity 30 of the strap, the end I8a of the plate I8 opposite from the teeth 24 is depressed so as to raise the end carrying the teeth 24. Upon proper tensioning of the strap, the member I2 is released and the teeth 24 move into strap-engaging position so as to press the strap against the inclined seat 25. The normal tension upon the strap tends to seat the teeth 24 more rmly.

As shown, the teeth 24 are curved slightly inward so that they may be easily withdrawn from engagement with the strap by depressing the remote end of the member I2, thus avoiding appreciable tightening of the effective portion of the strap to release the teeth. Since these teeth 24, when normally operating, are drawn firmly into engagement with the inclined seat 25 by tension of the strap, their curvature does not affect their normal function.

The teeth 24 of the member I2 are readily disengaged from the extremity 39 merely by applying thumb or finger pressure to the remote end I8a of the plate I8 of the member I2 whereby to lift the teeth from their engaging position. This result may be accomplished without any signicant movement of the end of the strap which would produce additional tightening. Besides avoiding over-tightening of the tourniquet when either setting or loosening, further discomfort to the patient is prevented by bending the flanges 20 of the body member I to form rounded corners at their juncture with the main plate I6 so that no sharp edges will be presented. Comfort is augmented by threading the strap end through all the slots 28, 34 and 35 to cover the back of plate I6, as seen in Fig. 5.

Since various modifications of the generic invention disclosed may be made, it is intended to cover all variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A buckle comprising in combination: a strapreceiving body member; a spaced strap-engaging member; a leaf spring disposed between and rigidly secured at its opposite ends to said respective members; to secure said members together and to constitute a spring hinge therebetween; strap-engaging teeth carried by one end of said` engaging member; and a cooperating lip carried by the adjacent end of said body member and serving as a seat against which said teeth are adapted to bind one end of a strap, said body member having means for receiving the other end of said strap.

2. A combination according to claim l wherein anges are provided on at least one of said members for entirely enclosing the sides of said leaf spring, said flanges providing smooth outer side walls.

l5 form` of a roll extending inwardly toward saidk 3. A combination according to claim 1 wherein said adjacent end of said body member is in the form of a roll directed inwardly to provide said lip.

4. A buckle comprising in combination: a body member; a jaw member; a spring hinge between and having its ends respectively xed to and thereby securing said members together; strapengaging teeth carried by one end of said jaw member; and a strap-receiving lip carried by the adjacent end of said body member in position whereby said teeth will engage one end of a strap positioned against said lip, said adjacent end of said body member being provided with a slot near said lip for passage of said strap therethrough, the opposite end of one of said members being provided `with means for receiving the other end of said strap.

5. A combination according to claim 4 wherein said adjacent end of said body member is in the form of a roll directed inward toward said spring hinge to provide said lip.

6. In combination in a buckle: a body member; a jaw member; a leaf spring hinge having its respective ends rigidly xed to and securing said members together; strap-engaging means carried at one end of one of said members; and a seat carried at the corresponding end of the other of said members and adapted to receive an end of a strap, said seat being positioned with respect to said engaging means whereby said engaging means may force said strap against said seat, said other member having a slot at the base o said seat for passage of said strap therethrough when engaged by the said engaging means and said seat.

7. A combination according to claim 6 wherein each of said members is provided with side flanges, the anges of one of said members engaging between the flanges of the other of said members and enclosing said spring hinge means.

8. A combination as in claim 4 wherein anges are provided on at least one of said members for entirely enclosing the sides of said spring means, the outer sides of said flanges providing smooth walls.

9. A buckle comprising in combination: a rigid body member; a rigid jaw member; a spring hinge between said members and having its ends xed respectively thereto and constituting the sole means securing said jaw member to said body member, one of said members having side iianges enclosing said Spring hinge means; strap-engaging teeth carried by one end of said jaw member; and a strap-receiving seat carried by the corresponding end of said body member, said seat being externally located and inclined with respect to said body member and the center of movement of said teeth about said hinge means whereby a strap between said teeth and said seat is urged against said seat by said jaw member.

10. A combination according to claim 9 wherein said body member is provided with a slot adjacent the base oi said. seat for passage therethrough of the end of a strap carried upon said seat.`

11. A buckle comprising in combination: an elongated body member; a jaw member having a strap-engaging end; a spring hinge mounting said jaw member upon said body member by having its ends xed respectively to said members; a seat carried by one end of said body member adjacent the` strap-engaging end. of said jaw member, said end of said body member being in the spring hinge means to provide said seat, and saidr body member having a strap-receiving slot adjacent said seat, said seat being inclined in the path of said engaging end of said jaw; and means provided on the other end of said body member to receive another portion of said strap.

12. A combination according to claim 11 Wherein said body member and said jaw member are provided with side flanges enclosing said spring hinge means and interengaged to guide the respective movements of said members.

13. A buckle comprising in combination: a body member having one end formed to provide an inclined strap-receiving seat and having a strapreceiving slot adjacent the base of said seat; a jaw member having strap-engaging means at one end; and leaf spring hinge means having its ends respectively rigidly secured to said members and mounting said jaw member on said body member, the inclination of said seat with respect to the path of such strap-engaging means of said jaw member upon said hinge means insuring a firm engagement of said strap between said seat and said engaging means.

14. A buckle comprising in combination: a metallic body member With a means at one end for attachment of a strap thereto; an inclined strap-receiving seat formed at the other end of said body member in the form of a rolled extremity of said body member, said body member having a strap-receiving slot adjacent said seat; a metallic jaw member having strap-engaging teeth directed toward said inclined seat to bind a strap end thereupon; a leaf spring hinge disposed between said body member and said jaw member, its ends being welded respectively to said members and positioning them in cooperative relationship; and side anges carried by one of said members and enclosing said spring hinge. HOWARD B. LEWIS. GLEN M. LARSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

